Are you keeping your warehouse clean? However, you may think you are, allocating just an hour or two per week, or even per month, to cleaning your warehouse can lead to remarkable improvement in your efficiency. You never know what missing or misplaced orders you might find! A clean warehouse means staff can move around more quickly, easily and get their jobs done!
Additionally, an unorganised warehouse indicates to visitors, suppliers, and staff that efficiency is lacking and pride and morale can suffer. When you try and look for ways to improve your warehouse efficiency, a good idea is to understand the way your shelves and space are being used.
Your layout should be customised for your specific needs. Sometimes multiple items will be shipped simultaneously to the same destination; keeping them in the same area helps all staff members locate their entire shipment quickly and load it on the vehicle. On the other hand, if individual packages need to be sent to different destinations, you could try different organisational systems to find what works best for your business.
Take advantage of automated data collection tech. Technology has advanced significantly in the past decade, especially in the area of automatic data collection. Long gone are the days of writing down a long number by hand or even keying them into a keyboard (thank goodness!); most warehouse and distribution centres are now running RF barcode and RFID systems that remove the human error element from the tracking process.
Please don’t be scared of automation; it can help our human job roles perform more effectively!
No matter how organised you may be, if your sales keep increasing, you will eventually need a new warehouse design, layout or even a new warehouse! We recommend evaluating your warehouse space every 3-5 years.
Rather than expanding the footprint of your warehouse, why not consider better use of your vertical space?
There is only so much you can do with the floor space of your warehouse. Vertical storage requires the correct type of shelving for your products and should always focus on safety and easy access. Using available warehouse space poorly is a common problem; however, it can quickly be resolved with custom industrial shelving systems.
It’s worth remembering that anything that looks difficult or awkward presents a risk of injury and the cost and loss of efficiency injury brings. Insuring your pickers can see into the picking bins easily. Even if you have an automated process and everything is scanned, a visual check can catch many potential errors.
Often overlooked as unnecessary, you wouldn’t believe the difference it’s made whenever we’ve suggested it!
Providing maps help your employees navigate the warehouse by providing maps. While labels and signage communicate what they need to know, maps can be especially beneficial for new or seasonal employees with less experience in the warehouse. The faster people get to where they need to go, the quicker they get the job done.
Many inventory errors can happen when goods-in areas are too small to work in; please avoid giving your staff a small office at the end of the room. This can eliminate receiving errors will relieve you from all kinds of issues later on, leading to losing time, money, and reputation.
Have a policy and procedure on how your business’s inventory process works. For example, the stock may arrive in the goods-in area of the warehouse, so describe how the stock goes from goods in, who is responsible for logging the inventory into your inventory tracking system and then how the stock is placed on the storage shelves.
Many inventory errors can happen when goods-in areas are too small to work in; please avoid giving your staff a small office at the end of the room. This can eliminate receiving errors will relieve you from all kinds of issues later on, leading to losing time, money, and reputation.
Have a policy and procedure on how your business’s inventory process works. For example, the stock may arrive in the goods-in area of the warehouse, so describe how the stock goes from goods in, who is responsible for logging the inventory into your inventory tracking system and then how the stock is placed on the storage shelves.
Compartmentalise inventory with totes, bins, and dividers. Storage devices make us happy! They promote the organisation of even the most minor items. Whether you need to store nuts and bolts or pre-assembled kits, we guarantee there is a tote or bin to keep these items in order. Add labels, and you just earned yourself a gold star from Santa himself! (Excuse the Christmas cheese if you’re just reading this now).
You might think it’s just another way of making money; however, It’s in your best interest to adhere to the manufacturer’s maintenance schedules they recommend. Make the maintenance of your equipment a priority. It keeps your warehouse equipment in working order reducing or eliminating unplanned downtime. When your equipment works properly, your employees can remain productive. Often, purchasing an extended warranty for maintenance on your equipment is worth the investment.
Once you’ve updated your disorganised warehouse to a new and improved facility, train your staff to maintain it. Set expectations and regularly check in with your employees to ensure the new layout is sustainable. The labels, signage and maps you’ve created will support this process.
This is a lot to review, so start small. Pick one or two things that you can implement immediately for the quickest return. The most important thing to keep in mind after organising your warehouse is to review your processes and procedures regularly. Did your changes have a positive impact? Are your employees more efficient? When it comes to facility flow or labels and signage, small adjustments can make a world of a difference. Organising your warehouse today will set you up for an efficient and successful business today and in the future!
Of course, if you need help with any of this, Ikon can help, Get in touch.
01773 718 719
sales@ikonltd.co.uk